


Tales of the Society: The Azure Age Chapter 2

by LadyofI



Series: Tales of the Society [2]
Category: Original Work
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-25
Updated: 2019-07-25
Packaged: 2020-07-19 09:27:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 16,283
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19971772
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LadyofI/pseuds/LadyofI
Summary: With new blood and a new base in the Society, the question remains: What became of the Azure Initiative?





	1. The Road to Hell

**Author's Note:**

> Yes, I'm reuploading this, because I wasn't satisfied with the... clunkiness of how Chapter 2 looked when merged together.

_“So that’s what happened to the old base, how Weiss gained his hate-boner for us, and why the Society became what it is today.” Brian smiled fondly at the memories, a look shared by the members who had been part of the “second birth” of their group. The other members all seemed rather impressed, but the short pony appeared questioning._

_“So, the Cobalt Bomb was stolen from Irene, right? How the actual fuck did the Initiative manage to organize and use that on you guys?” he inquired. The Councilmen winced at this, but someone else stepped forward - her voice was distinctly feminine, but her form was concealed by numerous towels and robes as she inched as close to the fireplace as she dared._

_“I c-c-could tell you...” The woman’s words were barely understandable through her shivering - at a glance, you could tell she just came in from the wintery cold outside. Eli looked at her with concern, shaking his head as he spoke._

_“Easy now, you’re freezing here - I don’t think you’re in any condition to be telling much.” Before Eli could continue, Steve moved aside, allowing the woman to take his seat right beside the fireplace._

_“C’mon, she’s willing enough to impart this information on us, and it’s stuff that even_ we _haven’t heard about…” Steve nodded to the newcomer as he spoke, giving her consent to proceed. With a sigh, the woman shifted a little and began to tell her tale._

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

****

# Tales of the Society - The Azure Age

****

## Chapter 2.1: The Road to Hell

****

**-DAY 1-**

Following their rather painful expulsion from the Society. Marcell had led Weiss somewhere deep into the wastelands. Apart from the Iridu City skyline still barely visible on the horizon, nothing but barren rock stretched as far as the eye could see.

“I swear to all that’s awesome, Marcell, you _better not_ be fuckin’ with me.” Walking as long as he had while having to deal with a bit of continued bleeding from his wounded forehead had worn on Weiss’s already-limited patience. However, Marcell only glanced at his irritable companion, still uncharacteristically quiet after his guitar was damaged.

After several more minutes of walking, the frilled lizard stopped in front of a loose formation of rocks; pulling on one revealed it as a cleverly-painted cloth with a steel door behind it. “This is it,” he said.

Weiss’s typical smug grin finally returned at the sight. “About fucking _time_... So this is where the gang’s been hiding…” He raised an eyebrow at Marcell. “How _did_ you find out about this, anyways?” he asked.

“I have my ways…and that’s all I’ll say,” Marcell responded quietly as he tapped on the door three times. “Also, you’ll probably wanna stand back for a sec…”

Before Weiss could ask why, he got his answer - the door burst open as a pair of figures burst out. Although they looked human at a glance, their dark grey longcoats and military gear completely concealed their features - even their faces were hidden behind advanced-looking masks. More pertinently, they were both carrying top-of-the-line assault rifles, which they levelled at Weiss and Marcell by the time they could process their appearance.

“Hmph…I should’ve known,” Weiss muttered. “My brother always _did_ talk about having bases all over the Nexus…and here’s the usual **Neo Soldier** welcome wagon!”

“Hold it right zhere!” One of the soldiers barked at the intruders in a harsh voice with a thick German accent. “Identify yourself and state your purpose, or ve vill…” He trailed off as he got a good look at the man before him. “…Veiss?!” he asked incredulously.

“Yeah, yeah, it’s me.” Weiss waved a hand dismissively. “Your so-called ‘deity’s’ little brother-slash-Neo-Empire dropout.”

The soldiers immediately lowered their weapons and struck a salute. “Ah…Mister Locke,” the second one said. “Zhe Fuhrer’s been expecting you. Mein apologies for our rudeness.”

“Whatever,” Weiss scoffed. “Just watch your tones next time, or I’ll turn your asses into your own personal armories.”

The soldiers exchanged glances before signalling Weiss and Marcell to follow them through the door. The lizard stared at his companion as they began descending a flight of stairs into a long metal corridor.

“Whoa, back up a second,” he whispered. “You were _in_ N.E.D.’s shady government-conspiracy bullshit program? What’d they promise ya to dupe you into-”

“It’s not that I didn’t _want_ to,” Weiss interjected. “I just didn’t make it past the initial stages of their fancy-ass process - _apparently_ , the bigwigs saw something ‘undesirable’ in me that meant I couldn’t move on with their ‘evolution’.” He smirked wryly as they came to a large, intimidating door with the Neo Empire insignia on it. “Then again, seeing what happened to the _successful_ guys like Nesmon, I can’t say I’m complaining.”

Marcell blinked as the Neo Soldiers began inputting codes in the panels flanking the door. “But…didn’t ‘the man’ try and, y’know… _off_ ya when they figured you were a failure?”

“Oh, they _tried._ ” Weiss lowered his shades just enough so the frilled lizard could see the evil glint in his eyes. “But after a dozen or so waves of goons, they got the hint long enough for me to bust outta the joint and strike out on my own.”

“Whoa. Guess you ain’t just hot air after all.” Marcell’s comment earned a snort from Weiss.

“Gee, was that your _first_ clue?” he asked. “I believe the ‘hot air’ position is held by my _dear_ older brother…” He paused as the air was filled with electronic beeps and the hiss of hydraulics - ahead of them, the door finally opened. The Neo Soldiers stood at attention as a familiar imposing figure appeared in the doorway.

“Veiss...mein rebellious little brozher.” Despite his words, N.E.D.’s voice was filled with amusement as he spread his four arms welcomingly. “Alvays following in mein footsteps, I see~”

“Skip the preening, Nesmon,” Weiss retorted. “We both know who’s _really_ to blame for this, err…surprise reunion.”

“Aaah yes. Zhe Crimson Blights…” The blue-tinted lenses of N.E.D.’s mask gleamed as he stepped forward. “I must admit…I expected zhat you vould be anozher casualty of zheir purge, but I vasn’t expecting you to seek me out…and vhat happened to your forehead?” 

Weiss’s scowl deepened as he wiped a little extra blood from his wound. “Call it…a _parting gift_ from Sergeant Spider.” His look lightened a bit as he took a cloth offered by one of the Neo Soldiers - although he would never admit it, the feeling of slowly-dripping blood was profoundly irritating.

N.E.D. gave a chuckle. “Hahahaha... _Sehr gut mein kleiner Bruder~_ You’re aren’t as vorthless as mein…former…superiors believed…but zhere vill be time for zhat in a moment. For zhe moment, let me give you zhe tour of mein base…”

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

After the tour, N.E.D. brought Marcell and Weiss to the main war room for re-introductions to the rest of the exiles. Weiss frowned as he sat down at the massive table dominating the center of the room: Sylvie and Purgatory sat to the left of him, while Saturn, Quantum, and Amethyst were on the right.

“Hmph…I see the ol’ gang hasn’t changed much,” he said. “Looks like 1:30’s still his usual homicidal self.” He pointed at the hulking figure standing at the edge of the room, restrained with heavy cuffs, chains, and even a few metal bars. 

“It is the only way to keep him stable,” Quantum responded. “My scans indicate that 1:30’s psyche degrades rapidly whenever he is _not_ actively killing - in the absence of victims, N.E.D.’s soldiers keep him restrained and heavily sedated with chemicals provided by Saturn and Sylvia-”

“Aww, c’mooon, Quantum!” the latter chirped, swinging her feet as she sat on the side of the table. “I already told you that you can just call me “Sylvie” - ‘course, it’s not surprising that you’d forget. With all that computer-sciency junk floating around your head, I’m amazed that a Pokémon like you even has room for any of your weird-ass moves~”

The narrow-eyed look Quantum shot at Sylvie mirrored the one Weiss directed at 1:30. “Are you sure he’s worth the trouble?” he asked suspiciously. “We could just dump him in the city and let him distract the Crimson Suck-ciety for us.”

“There is no need for such concern, Weiss,” Purgatory replied as she rose from her chair and strode over to 1:30. “He is but a beast, chained and maddened by his sins - with proper training and incentives, he could still be quite useful to our cause.” She patted the monster’s cheek with an armored hand as he slouched against the wall, filling the room with the gruesome sound of his raspy breaths. “The power of our Lord has worked greater miracles than this,” she declared haughtily.

Amethyst cringed a little at Purgatory’s words. “Not to doubt your talents or...uh… _backing_ ,” she said warily, “but are you sure you can contain the big lug? He’s got the bloodlust of 30 serial killers and the strength of a hundred pissed-off bears; he could break out at any-” She froze as Purgatory drew her sword.

“He will _not_.” The twisted paladin’s voice dripped with utmost conviction. “I know his weaknesses. There is one thing all monsters like him fear…leaving this life to be _judged_ in the next.” She pointed her blade at 1:30’s neck. “Isn’t that right, my dear 1:30?”

Although 1:30 said nothing, a slight change in his breathing proved Purgatory’s point. Amethyst cocked her head, both at this development and at Marcell’s ruined guitar as the frilled lizard placed it on the table, looking as desperate as anyone had ever seen him.

“Give it to me straight, Amy!” he pleaded. “Can you do anything to save her?”

Amethyst only gave her signature flirty giggle, placing a metallic finger against Marcell’s forehead to keep him from leaping over the table as she looked the guitar over. “Well, the way I see it, there’s two ways to do this - either I fix it up the way it was before, or I take a _little_ extra time to give it a few…ah, how do I put it?… _enhancements~_ ”

“I’m sure that’s nothing new to _you._ ” Contrary to Saturn’s expectations, Amethyst took no offence to the snarked taunt; she only smiled as she lightly pushed Marcell back into his seat.

“Didn’t you know, Saturn? Cybernetics are _in_ this year,” she purred. “The perfect accents to my otherwise _au naturel_ figure, wouldn’t you agree~?” She eased herself onto the table as she struck a pose, leaving the men in the room shifting uncomfortably.

“Uhh…right,” Weiss said after a pause. “So…how long are you guys planning to hang out in this desert? Until somebody stumbles on us and forces us to move?”

“Oh, don’t vorry about zhat,” N.E.D. replied. “Ve have… _vays_ of handling trespassers…isn’t zhat right, Miss Prower?”

“Yeppers!” Sylvie replied. “Between the seven of us and N.E.D.’s freaky soldier-dudes, nobody’s gotten out here and lived to tell it! Which gives me all the more time to work on my _super-secret_ project~”

“If I may interject…precisely _what_ are you planning?” Quantum asked. Sylvie only responded with a happy-yet-sinister giggle.

“Hehehe… Let’s just say that my mom’s been a biiiig help! I owe the progress I’ve made recently to her - you’ll know what I’m talking about soon enough~”

“I swear to god, Sylvie,” Weiss began, “if this is another of your stupid-ass monuments glorifying that idiotic cartoon-”

Sylvie’s girlish sweetness evaporated in an instant. “HEY! _My Little Pony_ is NOT idiotic!” she yelled. “And soon, everyone - EV-ERY-ONE!!! - will _rue_ the day they ever said a single bad thing about the show!” Her voice rose to a shriek as she jumped off the table. “AND THAT GOES _DOUBLE_ FOR THAT NARCISSISTIC CUNTBAG OF A COUNSELOR, NEVERDEAD! **AAAARRGGHH!!!** THAT FUCKER GOT OFF EASILY!!!! But trust me…OOOHHHH, trust me! If I EVER see his stupid, ugly face again…!! I’M GOING TO DO TERRIBLE, _TERRIBLE_ THINGS TO HIM!! **AND I WILL MAKE HIM PAY FOR SAYING SHIT ABOUT THE FAN-**

“SYLVIE! EASY, GIRL! Calm down! Remember your blood pressure!” Amethyst’s shout snapped Sylvie out of her fury. Having already tuned out the evil woman-in-a-girl’s body halfway through her rant, Weiss turned to N.E.D. with a new question.

“So, brother…with Marcell and I in the fold, what does this change in the grand plan?” he asked.

“…Plan? Vhat plan?” N.E.D. asked in return.

“You know……the _plan!_ ” Weiss said, waving his hands for emphasis. “The grand, kickass scheme to get back at those Crimson Cunts for banning us and forcing us out to this dust bowl!”

“Ah, _zhat_ plan.” N.E.D. chuckled as he patted his brother on the head. “Don’t vorry, Veiss; our chance to strike back at zhose fools vill come in time. Alvays remember zhe first lesson of var...victory comes to zhe patient ones.”

Weiss looked between N.E.D. and the motley crew around the table. Amethyst was alternating between helping Sylvie take deep breaths and pushing Marcell away from his wrecked guitar; Purgatory was bickering with Saturn, 1:30 was still in a daze, and Quantum was sitting in his chair, looking around impassively. The sight made Weiss groan as he put a hand to his bandaged forehead.

“Fffuck. This is gonna be a _loooong_ ordeal.”

**-THE SOCIETY WILL RETURN-**


	2. Ambitions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> How Tania and Quantum got expelled.

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# Tales of the Society - The Azure Age

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## Chapter 2.2: Ambitions

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_**Last time on** _ **Tales of the Society _…_** __

_After being unceremoniously and_ literally _expelled from the Crimson Society, Weiss had nothing but a vague promise of vengeance and a fresh new scar to his name. However, the similarly-banned Marcell revealed that he had kept in contact with the other former Society members, allowing him to lead Weiss to a secret desert base owned by his brother, N.E.D._

_After settling in and reacquainting himself with the group, Weiss’s thoughts returned to gaining revenge on the men who banned them. N.E.D. hinted at a plan to do just that, but with no further details, Weiss is left to endure the quirks and neuroses of the other “Crimson Exiles”…_

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**-DAY 2-**

Although he would never admit it outright, Weiss was quite impressed with the preparations his brother had made for the inevitable “bloody ascension of the Neo Empire”. N.E.D.’s forces had established secret bases all over the Nexus - the desert facility he currently occupied was only the latest of the bunch. Constructed with the strongest materials and the most advanced technology N.E.D.’s troops could find, make, or steal, the base was outfitted with everything its personnel needed to operate away from the prying eyes of the rest of the Nexus.

Unfortunately, N.E.D. remained irritatingly silent on his alleged “plans” for the future - and more pertinently for Weiss, revenge on the Crimson Society. After several failed attempts to coax the truth out of him, Weiss resigned himself to fuming in one of the smaller rooms of the base, watching some Neo-Soldiers working in the adjacent chamber.

“I don’t get it,” he grumbled to himself. “Nesmon’s got as much reason to hate those Crimson fucks as I do, and an army of supporters to boot…but he doesn’t wanna just go back and kick their collective asses right now?! For Christ’s sake…”

“Do not use His name so lightly, Weiss.”

Weiss groaned exaggeratedly as Purgatory entered the room. “You got business with me, Tania, or is there some kind of ‘blasphemy detector’ built into that armor?” he asked. “And where’s your new pet psychopath?”

“He is in his chamber,” Purgatory replied evenly. “I believe that I have found the root of his madness - and through it, a way to focus his rage on our enemies alone. I offered him a choice, and left him to consider his situation.”

Weiss only grunted in response, having already lost interest. “Well, at least _someone’s_ getting shit done around here. Thanks to my brother’s pansy-ass “patience is a virtue” mindset, I’ve got a crapload of anger and _nothing to aim it at!_ ” He jabbed a thumb at the room beyond. “The goons are building something to help me vent a bit, but I just wanna jab my foot up some Crimson Councilman ass!”

Purgatory was silent for a moment as she adjusted part of her armor. “I would not be so hasty, Weiss,” she said at last. “The Council is not to be trifled with - especially that masked _demon_.” She all but spat the last word with uncharacteristic venom.

“Demon…?” Weiss pondered for a moment before realizing who Purgatory referred to. “Heh...I doubt he’ll be a factor any more - didn’t N.E.D. tell you? The so-called ‘NeverDead’ split from the Society after a little… _disagreement_...with the rest of the fuckers.” He smirked a little as he remembered the arguments and strife leading up to Tsuneo’s disappearance from the Society.

Purgatory rubbed her chin as she digested this information. “Hmm... Perhaps the Council is not as gullible as I thought, then. On the other hand…it will be much more difficult to find that demon if he has taken to wandering the Nexus…”

Weiss raised an eyebrow as Purgatory muttered to herself. “Call me crazy, but…I get the feeling there’s some _serious_ shit between you and Tsune-” He cut himself off when Purgatory slammed an armored hand into the nearest wall.

“ _Do not speak his name!_ ” she hissed, shoving her helmeted face right up to Weiss’s. “It is nothing but a facade - an abomination such as him is nameless, formless, and utterly _soulless!_ His every _breath_ is a mockery against our Lord!”

 _…Does that guy even_ breathe _anymore?_ Weiss thought to himself. Out loud, he only asked, “Jeez, Tania! I know Tsu- uh, ‘that demon’ - is an undead asshole, but I didn’t think he was a full-on Satanist! ...If anything, that sounds more like Scafe’s department,” he added under his breath.

Although Purgatory stepped back a bit, her entire body still trembled with restrained rage. “You clearly do not understand the depth of his sins,” she curtly replied. “He is a walking embodiment of the Devil’s will - bound to the mortal plane by his crimes and determined to oppose the Lord’s plan at every turn!” She drew her sword, making Weiss back up slightly, but she only examined her own reflection in the blade. “That is why I must destroy him,” she said. “I must remove his interference from this realm and bring his corrupted spirit to judgement!”

Even with the obviously unstable and well-armed paladin right next to him, Weiss couldn’t suppress a snort. “Okay, seriously…do you _believe_ half of that shit you just spouted out, or are you just mad that he helped oust you?” He quickly regretted the comment as Purgatory whirled around, her blade mere millimeters away from his nose.

“ **DO NOT QUESTION THE LORD’S WILL!!!** ” she thundered. “I am _destined_ to purge all evil from this world, including the very architect of chaos who threw me from the Society!” After a moment, she mastered her anger enough to lower her sword. “Were it not for his dark influence, the Councilmen would have _never_ seen my actions as sabotage…” she muttered.

Weiss frowned as he struggled to recall the details of Purgatory’s expulsion. “Ohh, right…they said you were…uh…setting up the very problems you loved to report to them, right?” He spoke unusually cautiously as he edged around a chair, in case Purgatory decided to threaten him again.

“I was merely drawing their attention to future threats,” the paladin declared. “Perhaps I… _engineered_...some of the details, but only to illustrate the need to be prepared for any eventuality! Alas…in my haste, I myself was unprepared for the depth of the demon’s influence in the Society. I still remember the day he set his vile plans in motion…”

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“That’s enough, Tania.”

The gruff voice behind her made Purgatory turn. She had just finished setting a trap outside the doors of the Society HQ - a tripwire tied to the doors of a cage containing a group of lesser imps - when the newcomer had announced their presence.

“Tsuneo…” she said. “How did you find me?”

“I’ve been tasked with keeping tabs on your actions - you’ve been under suspicion for quite some time.” Tsuneo put a pair of fingers to the forehead of his mask, his tone becoming equal parts exasperated and grimly pleased. “And this all but proves the suspicions true. How many of our recent troubles have you…engineered?”

“Ever since Brian’s ill-advised attempt to make a magic pen that uses his accursed soda for ink,” Purgatory replied, shuddering slightly at the memory, “I realized that our Society needs to be prepared for _any_ possible crisis, no matter how small or unlikely.”

“…I agree with you there,” Tsuneo admitted grudgingly. “But that doesn’t mean you have to _make_ these problems happen. We’re supposed to face them as they appear, and work _together_ to overcome them!”

“Perhaps,” Purgatory said thoughtfully, “but every castle requires a watchman. Someone who alerts the garrison of approaching danger. I…” She paused for a moment before continuing with renewed fervor. “…I want to _be_ that watchman for our group! With the divine will of our Lord at my back, I shall ensure that no crisis breaks without the Society knowing of it! I shall be our unbreakable shield! I will see to it that we-” Her rant was interrupted by Tsuneo’s sigh.

“The Society has no room for ‘Chronic Hero Syndrome’. And you’ve said quite enough.” The revenant removed his hand from his forehead, making a very subtle click audible to Purgatory’s ears; she could practically see a triumphant smile under his mask. “…You’ve just confessed to willful sabotage of the Society. And with the audio log I just talked out of you, this is _more_ than enough grounds to forward your expulsion.”

Purgatory was speechless for several seconds. “Wh……wh…what?” she finally managed to whisper.

“Pack your shit, and prepare to leave. I can all but guarantee you’ll be out of here within the next 10 minutes.” With that curt order, Tsuneo turned around and re-entered the HQ, tripping the wire and releasing the imps onto Purgatory.

“Gaaaah! No!” she cried, fighting off the tiny gremlins as she tried to process what had just happened. “The Society _needs_ me! Even a child could understand that…! Unless…” Her eyes widened behind her helmet as she pulled the last imp off of her. “……Unless they were being… _manipulated!_ ” She clenched her fist (crushing the imp in the process) as the pieces “came together” in her head. “Manipulated by Tsuneo…by the will of the Devil……by a _demon!_ ”

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“...That was when I saw the NeverDead’s true nature. It made perfect sense - I am surprised I didn’t see it sooner.” Purgatory nodded to herself, leaning on her blade as she finished her story. “The rest, as you might remember, is history; they threw me out like they did yourself. But I have never forgotten who was behind it all…and I will _never_ rest until I see the demon’s very soul burned to nothingness in the light of the Lord!”

“…Wow, you can hold a grudge. I _like_ that.” Weiss couldn’t help but chuckle - thanks to Purgatory’s tale, he understood her thinking. “Well, we’ll make NeverDunce our Public Enemy Number 1 when the Society has been destroyed…assuming Nesmon ever gets _around_ to the latter.”

“Perhaps you could ask him to move their destruction up on the timetable?” Purgatory’s suggestion made Weiss scoff incredulously.

“You think I haven’t _tried_ that? Nesmon’s always been a stubborn one - get his mind set on something, and not even his brother can change his course.” He rubbed his chin thoughtfully as a plan began to form. “On the other hand, not even _he_ can ignore a majority vote… Tell you what, Tania. If you can help me get reason through Nesmon’s kevlar-armored skull, I’ll help you with your ‘demon-hunting’ problems. Sound good?”

Purgatory only pulled her sword from the ground and re-sheathed it as she turned away. “Hmph. Perhaps you’re more enlightened than I realized.” The smile on her lips was almost audible. “Very well, my blade is yours to command. Stay this course, and the Lord will bring you fortune in the near future.”

“I’ll keep that in mind.” Weiss’s own smug smile was back in place as he returned to his room, mulling over this new insight.

 _I won’t have to wait on Nesmon if I have the support of the others with me…Tania’s down for it, and 1:30_ should _follow her, if she’s got him as controlled as she claims. Marcell will be with me regardless, since I was there for his ban… That leaves Sylvie, Quantum, Saturn, and Amethyst..._

**-DAY 3-**

Weiss yawned in the light of the oncoming sunrise as he headed outside, spotting Quantum atop the rocks concealing the base’s entrance. Now that he had his plan together, he wanted to put it into action as quickly as possible.

“Ey, Quantum!” he called. “The heck are you doin’ up this early?”

As usual, the cyborg Zoroark took a moment to reply, although he had been aware of Weiss the moment the door opened. “I am _always_ awake at this hour,” he said. “A few minutes of solitude in the morning allows me to gather my thoughts before proceeding with my daily activities.”

Weiss crossed his arms and nodded sympathetically. “Yeah, the circus N.E.D.’s running down there tends to be a bit much to handle, even for me. And I had to deal with it for _years,_ lemme tell you…” He only chuckled to himself, nostalgia returning from older days. “Well, I’d hate to ruin your few minutes of peace and quiet…”

“I find that…unlikely.” Were it not for his usual monotone, Quantum’s words would have been dripping with sarcasm. “You are here to discuss something with me.”

Weiss blinked at the matter-of-fact statement. He knew Quantum was sharp, but he hadn’t expected him to be _that_ quick to notice. “How the fu-”

“I have analyzed your vocal inflections and determined that you did _not_ come out for fresh air,” Quantum replied bluntly. “Based on your slightly-elevated breathing pattern and heart rate, you have been engaging in moderate exercise - given that the recreational facilities will not be open for another 66.188 minutes, I assume you have been roaming the base in search of something.” He paused as he mentally called up information from his databanks. “Additionally, observation of your normal sleep patterns indicates that you should not awaken for another 35.481 minutes. Combined with your…atypical…attempt at casual socialization, the only logical conclusion is that you specifically sought me out to discuss something of some importance.”

Deciding that bandying around the bush wasn’t going to accomplish anything, Weiss went straight to business. “…Well, alright. I wanted to ask: What’s your particular beef with the Society of shitheads that kicked us out?” 

“It was not a personal vendetta,” Quantum said. “…In fact, I understand the reasoning behind my expulsion. Ultimately, the conflict between the Society and myself is a matter of…obstruction.”

“...Obstruction?” Weiss repeated, his curiosity piqued. “Obstructing _what?_ ”

Quantum was quiet for a moment as he looked at the horizon, memory and prior mapping providing him the exact location of the Society’s base. “Data.” he said simply.

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Step away from the console, Robo-ark.” The stern voice was accompanied by the feeling of a metallic stick jabbing into Quantum’s back. After a moment to process this, the cyborg Pokémon slowly raised his hands, turning his head just enough to regard his accoster.

“…Eli.” Quantum’s voice was as monotone as ever, even as his veiny green eye narrowed slightly. “To what do I owe the…pleasure?” he asked.

“We’ve _had_ it with your twisted little games, Quantum.” Eli’s glare deepened as vile memories surfaced. “Whether behind the controller or out in the real world, you’ve poked and prodded at every turn. You have _no_ right to the secrets you’re lookin’ for.”

Quantum paused as he considered what Eli could be referring to. “You speak of my hacking of games and my probing into the histories of other members.” He spoke calmly, as though it were no secret. “I understand that my actions may be…uncomfortable for some-”

“ _Uncomfortable?_ ” Eli parroted incredulously. “Try _completely fucking NUTS!!_ I mean, some of us aren’t exactly open books or anything, but there’s usually a good fuckin’ reason for that! And how does that justify the game-hacking?” he demanded.

Although Quantum’s cyborg brain calculated over two dozen ways to explain his reasons, he decided to give the direct explanation. “It is quite simple, actually; I wish to understand the subtle nuances of technology and psychology alike.” He tapped the console in front of him with his mechanical left claw. “The hacking of games is stress-testing - to see just how far the rules can be bent. The ‘hacking’ of a mind differs only in means and media. Determining how far I can push a person before a drastic paradigm shift occurs is-”

Eli’s face became more disgusted with every word out of Quantum’s mouth. “That’s… _fucked up,_ Quantum. Bad enough that you put me through the wringer ‘bout my gang days, but doing it for the sake of _science!?_ To **hell** with that bullshit! Brian and the others are gonna hear about this, and we’re gonna kick your furry-metal ass outta here!” He turned to leave, only for a barrier of code to pop up in front of him. “Don’t like it?” he asked. “Well, you’re welcome to fight it o-”

“That will not be necessary. I simply believe it would be more prudent if you allowed _me_ to explain the situation.” If Quantum was uneasy, upset, or otherwise rattled by this development, he didn’t show it. “The process will be expedited if they hear the reasons from a primary source…”

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“…That’s it?” Weiss asked, utterly flummoxed. “You just… _went along_ with that shit? You didn’t even _try_ to plead not guilty?!”

“The evidence against me was already overwhelming. There was no logical defence to make - arguing the point would only delay the inevitable,” Quantum explained. “I did not wish to cause more undue strife amid the ranks…but the information I was unable to collect is what bothers me. I understood the Council’s reasons for expelling me…and yet there was more I did not understand from them as a whole.”

Weiss scratched his head as he tried to make sense of Quantum’s words. “Either you’re the greatest nerd in the history of the Nexus, or you were planning something _big_ with all that data,” he said slowly. “What, you makin’ some kind of ‘Crimson Society Encyclopedia’ or something?”

Quantum rubbed his chin with his organic claw. “Hm… Of a sort. It is difficult to describe fully - I have my secrets too, you realize.” If the even blanker-than-normal expression he donned was any indication, Weiss decided that he wasn’t going to divulge anything more on that subject. “However, judging by your begrudging acceptance, you would find use in my knowledge of the Society’s inner workings.”

“Yep. Still just as quick to the point as ever…” Weiss mumbled before responding to Quantum’s query. “Yes I could. Grudge or no grudge, you gotta realize that the rest of us have some big-ass bones to pick with the Society. And with my bro sitting on all four of his thumbs, we won’t get a damn thing done…unless we do it ourselves.”

Quantum’s eyes narrowed as he jumped down from the rocks, head tilted curiously as he looked Weiss in the eye. “Do you intend to seize power, then?” he asked.

“Perceptive little ‘mon… Yeah, that’s the gist of my idea. If the rest of us exiles band together, we can take the reins of this little gathering and _end_ the Society that kicked us out.” Weiss nodded to himself before extending a hand to Quantum. “What do ya say then - do we have your support?”

Quantum made no move to take the offered handshake. “If I may be so bold…who else have you spoken to about this?” he asked.

“Just Purgatory so far,” Weiss said, “but I figure Marcell and 1:30 will be on board as well once we run it by them. With you in the mix, we’ll already have a majority vote…although I’m still gonna talk to the rest of the gang before I make my move.”

Quantum frowned slightly as he considered the situation. “If that is the case…” He finally took Weiss’s extended hand. “…you can count on my support, Weiss. I predict an interesting series of events in the coming days.”

Weiss only smiled evilly. “Believe me, Quantum, you have _no_ idea…”

 _Four down, three to go. Enjoy your seat as top dog, brother - soon, the_ real _alpha male’s gonna put you in your place._

**-THE SOCIETY WILL RETURN-**


	3. Revenge Before Pleasure

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> How Saturn and Sylvie were kicked out.

****

# Tales of the Society - The Azure Age

****

## Chapter 2.3: Revenge Before Pleasure

****

_**Last time on** _ **Tales of the Society _…_** __

_N.E.D.’s long-term plan to get back at the Crimson Society has left Weiss antsy and out of patience. Deciding to take matters into his own hands, he began connecting with his fellow exiles, learning how they were banned before asking them to help him take control of their ragtag band away from his four-armed brother. So far, he has Purgatory and Quantum in on his scheme, but he refuses to make a move until he’s gotten the other members of the group on his side…_

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

**-DAY 4-**

Weiss wandered the expansive halls of N.E.D.’s base, passing by Neo Soldiers and ex-Society members. When he crossed paths with Purgatory, she gave a discreet thumbs up - a sign that 1:30 was in on the burgeoning mutiny. The thought brought a grin to Weiss’s face as he began considering his plans for the day.

 _This is going quite smoothly so far,_ he thought. _I ran the plan by Marcell this morning, and he was just as quick to jump on board as I’d hoped… Shame he’s also back to his usual earsplitting self…_

_“YOU GOT IT, WEISS-MAN! I’M WITH YA ALL THE FUCKIN’ WAAAAAAY!!”_

Weiss cringed as he remembered the frilled lizard’s renewed volume. _Why the fuck did Amethyst have to fix his guitar so damn fast?! I swear, there’s nothing more grating than that moronic metalhead’s screa-_

**“EEEEEEEYYYYYYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRGHHHEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!”**

Weiss clamped his hands over his ears even as he turned to regard the source of the ear-splitting racket. Further down the hall, a shrieking blur was rushing towards him - Sylvie was chasing after it, carrying a syringe.

“Someone catch him!” she cried. “He hasn’t had his shots!”

With a dismissive shake of his head, Weiss gave the charging being a swift kick in the ribs as it approached him. The thing slammed into the opposite wall, revealing it to be a deformed quadruped. Sylvie sighed in relief as she finally caught up.

“Thanks, Weiss…” she panted. “He would’ve probably bit someone’s face off if I let him out of sight.”

“No trouble…” Weiss said offhandedly, his gaze going back to the twitching mass of flesh and limbs before him. “The hell is this thing, anyway?” he asked.

“Oh, just one of my old experiments~” Sylvie said as she injected something into the creature. “He’s a bit grumpy, so I try to keep a good eye on him - guess I got too caught up in my progress to notice him getting loose!”

“Ooookay…” Weiss muttered, trying not to sound too nauseous. “And what exactly _are_ you working on so feverishly?”

“Nothing much...’cept the most AWESOME THING IN THE HISTORY OF **EVER!!!** ” Sylvie squealed as she got back to her feet, waving the syringe in her hand dangerously as she bounced on her heels. “When this project of mine is up and running, the whole damn world is gonna see the beauty of friendship and the brilliance of Sylvie Prower!”

Weiss had to chew on the inside of his cheeks to withhold the derisive scoff building in his throat. _Crap...now I remember why this bitch went so early,_ he thought. _If she was any more obsessed with her stupid pony cartoon, she’d have tattooed a “cutie mark” on her own ass… Oh god, bad thought! **Bad thought!**_

“Uhhh…Weiss? Y’okay, big guy?” Sylvie’s questioning look brought Weiss back to reality. Shaking his head vigorously to dispel the unsettling thoughts, he decided to pitch his plan to the diminutive girl before him.

“Sorry ‘bout that - got a bit lost in thought. You need help getting this…uh…‘project’ of yours back to the lab?” he asked.

Sylvie tapped her chin thoughtfully. “Well, I _was_ gonna get N.E.D.’s military creeps to pick him up, but you’re right here, so why not? Let’s see you put those muscles to use, Weissy~” She giggled to herself as she turned around and began skipping down the hall. Weiss scowled the moment he was out of Sylvie’s view, but kept his mouth shut as he slung the quadrupedal thing over his shoulder and followed the woman-in-a-girl’s-body back up the hall.

“So, while we’re here,” he began, “you mind if I dig into a, uh, _sensitive_ topic? I was kinda curious about-” 

“Rainbow Dash is best pony, FriendShipping is best ship, I love the _Equestria Girls_ spinoff, everyone who bitched about Twilicorn is a complete fucking dumbass, ‘Rainbow Falls’ was actually a GREAT episode, brony analysts are nothing but leeches to the fandom, and Derpygate was utter **bullshit** ,” Sylvie rattled off unhesitatingly. “Aaand, if we’re talking more _risque_ topics…a screenshot of Fluttershy’s sweet, sweet flank in ‘Bridle Gossip’ - that’s _Friendship is Magic_ Season 1, Episode 9 - was the first time I-”

Although Sylvie’s pony-related info dump had lost Weiss somewhere around “ _Equestria Girls_ ”, her dewy-eyed look and rising blush told him that the conversation was going exactly where he hoped it would never go. “ _Actually_ ,” he interjected, trying not to let his impatience and overwhelming disgust show in his voice, “I wanted to ask where the brunt of your beef with the Society shitbags lies.”

Sylvie’s happy mood vanished in an instant. “......Oh, that. _Lovely_. You sure know how to kill a hypothetical wingboner,” she snarked.

Sensing reluctance, Weiss backpedaled with feigned nervousness. “You don’t _have_ to tell me if it’s _that_ ugly or something,” he said quickly. “I was just kind of curious about what shit they had to dig up to paint a…‘brony’ like you-”

“Pegasister, actually,” Sylvie corrected.

Weiss rolled his eyes behind his shades. “ _Riiight_ …to paint a _pegasister_ like you…as unfit to be in the Society. I mean, they’re not straight-up pony haters, are they?”

“Naaah…well, _most_ of ‘em were okay with the herd,” Sylvie replied. “Apparently, though, they objected to me spreading the glory of ponies across the Nexus. Remember that _MLP_ club I was in?”

 _Not at all,_ thought Weiss. “Yeah?” he said aloud.

Sylvie’s expression darkened. “Weeell…let’s just say that the title of ‘Super-Duper Ultimate _My Little Pony_ Fan’ is…a heavily contested one.”

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Sylvie…we need to talk.”

The girl in question turned her swivel-chair around to regard the speaker, a small brown unicorn with black hair styled in an afro. “Whaddya want, Tavo?” she asked. “I’m kinda busy working on our new banner.” She rolled her chair aside to let Tavo regard her work - a half-painted sheet dominated by the words _FRIENDSHIP IS MAGIC - JOIN THE HERD TODAY!_ “Pretty sweet, right?”

“Well…” Tavo reluctantly lifted up the banner with his magic as he looked it over. “It’s nice, but…we need to talk about the interview yesterday.”

Sylvie wrinkled her nose as the memory resurfaced. “Oh, _that_ loser? We didn’t need him messing up our club - he _insisted_ that Derpy’s eyes were never meant to be…well, _derpy_! Revisionist conformist assholes like him have no place in our fandom!” she cried.

Tavo shook his head as he put the banner back on the table. “That’s the _seventh_ applicant you’ve refused to let into the club,” he said. “In fact, we haven’t had _any_ new blood join us since you became our official recruiter.”

Sylvie shrugged as she slid her chair back to her workstation. “What can I say, Tav? I seem to be an idiot magnet - that guy had the same damn problems as the last six…”

“What, that they disagreed with _your_ vision of the _MLP_ fandom?” Tavo’s tone gained a hint of accusation as he took a sheet of paper out of his shirt pocket. “According to this report, you’ve rejected two people for alternate interpretations of Derpy, another for saying that Queen Chrysalis died after “A Canterlot Wedding”, three more for disliking _Equestria Girls_ , and one guy for disparaging…clopfics.” He let out a quiet “ _blegh_ ” at the last one, immediately making Sylvie bristle.

“Hey, I’ll have you know that clopfics are an integral part of the brony community!” she said defensively. “Sure, not everyone thinks about ponies _that_ way, but some people _do_ , and we have to accept that!”

“Perhaps…” a new voice began, “but does that truly warrant throwing a paperweight at their head and screaming at them to - and I quote - _get your unloving, intolerant ass outta my building_?” Tavo and Sylvie both turned to see Tim standing in the doorway, his arms crossed.

“About _time_ you got here, Tim,” Tavo said with a wry grin. “What took you so long - stopwatch breaking down?”

“Do not accuse me of tardiness,” Tim frowned. “I simply thought that a third opinion would be a _timely_ asset.” He stepped aside to allow Brian into the room.

“Hey, Sarge!” Sylvie chirped, grabbing her banner and holding it up for her superior to see. “Whaddya think of my new- Aah!” She nearly fell out of her chair as Brian yanked the banner out of her hands and tossed it into a corner. “Careful with that - it’s not painted yet!” she yelped.

“Forget the banner.” Brian’s stern tone left no room for argument. “I need to talk to you about this… _thing_...you have for ponies.”

“Thing…?” Sylvie repeated, eyebrow raised. “…You mean my expressions of our shared love for all things pony?”

“Yeeeaaah…no.” Brian rubbed the back of his head. “See, the thing is...you’ve gone clear past ‘love’ and straight to ‘batshit _nuts_ ’ about ponies. I mean, recent interviews aside, your ‘incident’ record in this club is long enough to tie down Big Macintosh.”

“...Although that _is_ a rather amusing image...” After allowing herself a giggle at the thought of the big red colt tied down, Sylvie pouted theatrically. “It’s not _my_ fault the rest of these guys insist on questioning my claim to being the greatest thing to hit the brony community since Lauren Fa-” She was interrupted as a blue glow enveloped her chair and swivelled it to face Tavo.

“And there’s the problem - _you’re not!_ ” he growled. “You strut around, bragging about your role in our club - no, in the entire fucking **fandom!** \- like you were a Hasbro executive who pitched _MLP:FiM_ at a brainstorming session! And the moment anyone tries to argue or even _question_ your point, you blow up like Discord’s milk of chocolate glass! You spend more time stroking your ego than Trixie does in ‘Boast Busters’, and that is _fucking **saying** something!_”

“And let us not omit your more… _unsavory_ pursuits,” Tim added. “I don’t believe our peers have ever fully recovered from the time we discovered you… _paying tribute_ to Princess Celestia.”

Sylvie had the decency to look mildly ashamed at that. “Again, I’m _sorry_ I brought that into the bathroom, but I had to avoid getting my closet floors wet wi-”

“STOP! I DON’T NEED THOSE MEMORIES AGAIN!” Brian yelled, clapping his hands firmly over his ears.

“ _Yeah, we do NOT need to remember that,_ ” Zeus muttered. “ _I think we ALL saw far more of Sylvie that day than any loving God would **ever** want us to see._”

“And poor…POOR Sweetie Belle!” Tavo grunted at the memories that resurfaced about _that_ fiasco. “She’s a FILLY, for god’s sake!”

“A filly with a great singing voice and some _awesome_ flexibility!” Sylvie chirped. “Seriously, how could I _not_ write about what she’d be like to-”

“ **EEYAAAAAAAAH!!!! IT BURNSSS! IT _BURNSSS_ USSSSS!!!**” Without missing a beat in his sibilant screams, Tavo began banging his head into the nearest wall. Brian only facepalmed as Tim released a beam from his stopwatch, freezing the small unicorn in time.

“Yeah, that’s all pretty bad,” the spider-bunny said, “but it’s just symptomatic of the _real_ problem here. Sylvie, your obsession with _My Little Pony_ borders on psychopathic, and it’s causing trouble, distress, and general suffering all around. And the worst part is, you never once stopped to ask if it _just might_ be your fault!”

“Well, obviously not!” Sylvie retorted. “Why would I feel guilty if it never _is_ my fault? I’m just protecting and promoting the glory of ponies-”

“Except for the fact that literally _everyone,_ pony or not, that disagrees with you…” Tim interrupted, “…is met with a level of fury and violence that makes a Windigo's blizzard seem tame.”

“ _And your “promotion” of the fandom amounts to taking your worldview and **shoving it down everyone’s throats!**_ ” Zeus finished. “ _You’re like a Westboro Baptist on **Bath Salts!**_ ”

Sylvie gasped in horrified shock. “You _take that back!_ ” she screamed. “I do NOT use bath salts - they’re made of horse hooves! …And if I shove my beliefs down other people’s throats, they’re obviously too damn stupid to see the awesomeness of _MLP_ any other way!”

“But that’s just it,” a new voice chimed in. “Pricks like you can ruin _any_ fandom…even one that’s already as repulsive as this one.”

Sylvie’s eyes widened at the familiar digitized tone, before narrowing to slits at the equally-familiar figure entering the room. “ _You…_ ” she hissed.

“Yep. _Me._ ” Tsuneo gave a trollish smirk behind his mask, although no one could see it. 

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“...Are you fucking _done?_ ” Weiss grumbled, quite annoyed. “Everyone else’s stories lasted about 5 minutes at best here.”

Sylvie shrugged. “Well, funny thing is…I blacked out after Tsuneo came in - Brian said I had an epic rage-gasm about an anti-brony fucker like him entering the sacred ground of a fanclub. The next thing I know, I’m standing in front of the Council just as they come to the unanimous agreement to discharge me from my own _MLP_ fan club, _and_ from the Crimson Society! I mean, really!? _Me?_ The be-”

“ **I get it! Stop!** ” Weiss’s bellowed command silenced Sylvie long enough for him to take a calming breath before continuing in a more measured tone. “So…the Crimson cuntflaps booted your ass because you’re a _touch_ on the fanatical side. And while I don’t agree about the ponyfucking-” 

“The _fuck_ was that!?” Sylvie snapped back in retaliation, though Weiss quickly waved her down.

“Not _judging_ or anything, just sayin’ it ain’t my thing. Anyways…ponyfucking or no, I still see a use for your fanaticism - it’s exactly the kind of determination that I need here and now.” The scarred ex-human set his burden down and got on one knee to look Sylvie in the eye. “Be straight with me - you want payback on those fuckers, right?” 

“You bet your Derpy-gray ass I do!” Sylvie sneered.

Despite his offense at the pony reference, Weiss grinned. “So do I…but my brother’s not gonna do a damn thing against the Crimson Suck-ciety for about…a couple fucking months, minimum. He doesn’t understand that the _rest_ of us are ready _now_ , so I’m taking matters into my own hands here…but I need allies. So…can I rely on you to rally against Nesmon?”

Sylvie thought for about three seconds before giving her signature evil smile. “You betcha, Weiss! Just say the word…and gimme a while to finish my project, ‘kay? When it’s done, we might not even _need_ that party-pooping Nazi and his not-so-merry band of goons!”

Sylvie giggled to herself before looking back at Weiss, only to find him gone. The electrokinetic villain had started walking away the moment he heard Sylvie agreeing to join him.

“Waitaminute, where are you going?! I still need help with my pet here!”

Sylvie’s cries fell on deaf ears; Weiss was already considering the next part of his plan. _Just two more minds to turn before I can make my move,_ he thought smugly. _But the next one’s…prooobably gonna suck._

**-DAY 5-**

Finding Saturn was a simple task; all Weiss had to do was follow the incessant droning of the countless wasps surrounding her. However, willing himself not to cringe at the sight of her proved significantly more difficult - thus, it was not until the morning after his recruitment of Sylvie that Weiss finally approached the walking hive in the mess hall during breakfast.

“Mornin’, Saturn,” he greeted, taking a seat opposite the Hive-Brid. As usual, Saturn’s tray was almost overflowing with food - mostly fruit and raw meat, but also a bowl of cereal and a cup of yogurt. With her wasps buzzing around and gnawing at most of the food, Weiss was strongly reminded of a compost box, but he resisted the urge to snark about it as Saturn looked at him.

“Morning, Weiss,” she said. “You feeling okay?”

“Never been better,” Weiss replied. “Why’d you ask?”

Saturn would have raised an eyebrow if she had any. “Well, it’s not often anybody sits with me at breakfast - least of all _you,_ ” she explained. “What’s the big occasion?”

“Just here to chat,” Weiss answered. “Felt like I should get to know you too, since I’ve been learnin’ the ins and out of everyone else here - you just ended up close to the bottom of the list.”

Saturn lowered her head a little, making her exposed jawbone resemble a knowing smirk. “Afraid of my swarm, are we? Can’t say I blame you; no offense, but **the Queen** has a _bad_ vibe about you.” She tapped the side of her head for emphasis.

“Well, I _am_ something of a walking bug-zapper,” Weiss allowed himself a smirk of his own before getting back on-topic. “But that’s not it - you just happened to be one of the last people I’ve gotten around to talking with. It’s coincidence, nothing more.”

Saturn took a moment to reply, having started eating her cereal as Weiss spoke. “Fair enough,” she said at last. “So, what did you want to know? How I became what I am? How much of my actions are my own? How fast I could kick your ass in a fight? Whether or not you’re my type - you’re not, by the way.”

“Let’s see, in order…nope, don’t care, you _wish_ , and _thank God_ for small miracles.” said Weiss. “Actually…I wanted to hear exactly how you got in the Society’s bad books. The hell did you do, sting someone in the crotch?”

“Not at all…although I _was_ tempted to do that,” Saturn admitted. “No, the Society’s beef with me was on a very… _personal_ …level.”

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The silence of the Crimson Society’s meeting room was broken by the creak of a door and the hive’s usual buzzing as Saturn entered. The only other one in the room was Scafe, sitting at the far end of the table with a pensive expression.

“You wanted to see me, Saturn?” he said. The Hive-Brid nodded as she directed her wasps to pipe down, causing them to settle on her head and shoulders like hair.

“I need some advice, and you’re the only Councilman I can ask,” she said. “Eli couldn’t stop making bug puns long enough to help, Brian’s busy, and Max just plain intimidates me.”

“…And Tsuneo?” Scafe’s question made Saturn shift uncomfortably.

“Well, the thing is…he’s part of the problem,” she admitted. “Scafe, I……I love him.”

The dragon-man blinked. “You…want a piece of his undead D?” he asked after a pause.

Saturn shook her head vigorously, causing her “hair” to briefly fly up in irritation before settling back in place. “No! …Well, _yes_ , but it’s more than that!” She paused as she struggled to find the right words. “It’s like…it’s like we’re _soulmates._ Like we were always meant to be-”

“Okay, I’m gonna stop you right there.” Scafe interrupted Saturn with a raised hand. “I’ve seen how you look at Tsuneo, and I see how he looks back at you. He’s not interested - hell, he seems repulsed by your efforts. And I’m pretty sure Tsuneo isn’t the type to judge on looks alone.”

“Exactly!” Saturn declared. “He sees a kindred spirit in me, and he doesn’t know how to take it! That’s why I need advice - how can I make him understand that we’re not so different?”

“…Heugh.” Scafe’s hand went to his temples as he realized that he was going to have to let Saturn down hard. “Alright, here’s the thing,” he began. “First of all, you can’t _make_ someone love you, much less someone as hard-headed as Tsuneo. Secondly, if you _really_ understand him as deeply as you claim, you’d know that he’s been burned before…REPEATEDLY, at that…so he’s not exactly receptive to that kind of thought. When you follow him around and try to force your feelings, you’re just pushing him further into his shell.”

To Scafe’s dismay, Saturn didn’t seem to be getting the hint. “I _know_ he’s afraid of being hurt again, but true love is worth the risks! It’s just like in-”

“Like in your beloved Meyer-scratch?” Scafe couldn’t repress the exasperated sigh that slipped from his mouth.

Saturn froze on the spot. “...! Wha…wha…wh…WHAT DID YOU SAY?!” Her eye flashed as she readied her swarm to attack, but Scafe was quicker - he vaulted over the table and slammed the walking hive against the wall.

“And that’s _another_ thing, Saturn,” he continued in a low growl. “Your fanaticism may be a bit less in-our-face than Sylvie’s, but your reactions are just as violent when the subject is threatened. Em’s _still_ recovering from the last scrape you two had.”

“Th-that wasn’t my fault!” Saturn spluttered. “Sure, I _may_ have overreacted when she called Stephanie Meyer an emo-abortion survivor, but it got out of my hands - the Queen thought she was too good to pass up once our swarm got a taste of her!”

“Yeah, about that…are you _sure_ your feelings for Tsuneo aren’t in the same vein?” Scafe sniped back. “Even if that’s just the queen bee talking, it means we can add “unstable” to your list of problems.” He sighed to himself as he saw where the conversation had led. “Look, Saturn…I wish I could do more for you, but as it stands, I think the best advice I can give right now is…get your stuff together.”

Saturn’s remaining eye widened. “Oh no…you don’t mean…?”

“Eeyup.” Scafe reached into his pocket and pulled out a familiar slip of paper. “…I talked with the other Councilmen before this meeting, and we’ve decided that you’re too much trouble to keep around. Brian doesn’t like your fights with Em, Eli and Max won’t get near you because of your outbursts…and neither Tsuneo nor I want you bothering him anymore.”

Saturn could only open and shut her mouth wordlessly - even her wasps seemed to be stunned into docility. Deciding that the woman wouldn’t attempt anything now, Scafe released Saturn and regarded her with a combination of disgust and pity.

“I’m sorry, Saturn, but it’s _over_ for you. When Brian gets back from tending to Emily, we’ll make the ban official - it’s really just a question of whether you walk outta here or get kicked out on your ass.” With that, Scafe left the room, leaving Saturn alone in the silence.

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Sooo… _did_ they end up kicking you out on your ass?” Weiss asked, taking the last bite of his toast.

Saturn only shook her head. “I hung around just long enough to hear the official verdict before I walked out. I wanted to say goodbye to Tsu-Tsu…but he didn’t look at me _once_ the whole time.”

 _Can’t say I blame him,_ Weiss snarked mentally. Out loud, he said, “Well, you never know. Maybe he’s changed his tune now that he’s made his own exit from the Suck-ciety.”

“WHAT?!” Saturn shouted, jumping to her feet. “Tsunie’s left the Society too?!”

Before Weiss could elaborate, the PA speakers in the mess hall crackled to life, followed by the voice of his older brother.

“ _Achtung, Crimson Exiles! Report to zhe Var Room immediately for a debriefing! Schnell! …Zhat is all._ ”

 _Crap! Not now!_ Weiss cursed his brother’s timing even as he and Saturn rose from the table. _I better work fast…_ “Listen, Saturn,” he said quickly. “You want to pay the Society back for all the shit they’ve heaped on you, right?”

“Why wouldn’t I?” Saturn said bitterly. “They took me away from Tsu-Tsu before I could make him see the truth of our bond!”

Weiss found himself grateful to be walking ahead of Saturn as they exited the mess hall - there was even less chance of her seeing his eye-rolling expression. “Right…well, thing is, Nesmon’s convinced that they’re not an immediate concern. Nothing we can do about that as long as he’s in charge…”

“…so we need a change in management,” Saturn finished. “Let me guess - you’re planning to become the new boss?”

Weiss’s smug grin was back in place as he said, “Pretty much, yeah. I’ve got everyone but Amethyst and Nesmon himself in on it now. Once I’m in charge of this merry little band, I’ll focus all of our efforts on taking down those Crimson cobble-lickers and tracking down Tsuneo for you.” He turned around, walking backwards to gauge Saturn’s reactions. “So, you in?”

Saturn rubbed her chin as she considered her options. “It’s only a matter of time either way…” she muttered, “…but I _am_ getting pretty damn bored waiting for something to happen. Ah, hell with it - I’m throwing my chips in with you, Weiss!”

Weiss nodded as he reached the door to N.E.D.’s war room. “Glad to hear it, Saturn…because we might just have to cash ‘em in now…”

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

After all of the Crimson Exiles had arrived and made themselves comfortable, N.E.D. rose from his chair, all four arms outstretched. “Ah, I see everyone is accounted for. Zhat is gut, very gut. Now…down to business.”

Despite knowing better, Weiss leaned forward with interest, fervently praying that N.E.D. was about to unveil his plan to destroy the Society. His hopes were swiftly dashed as his brother brought up the usual holographic map of the Nexus, zooming in on their current location.

“Zhis base, south of Iridu City, is fully operational - as such, I vill leave it in zhe capable hands of mein army. Now, my fellow exiles, ve vill all vork tovards establishing a base of our own. I have already selected several potential locations vithin zhe nearby areas-”

“Nesmon, bro, lemme stop ya right there,” Weiss finally piped up. “We need to stop dancing around the bush here, and fucking _cheese_ those Society chumps.”

“…Brozher, did I not tell you vonce already…zhat ve require _patience and planning_ to ensure our enemies have no vay out?” Nesmon folded one set of arms, the other tapping the top of his helm and rubbing his chin thoughtfully.

“Well, I’ve been thinking about that, and I have a question for _you,_ ” Weiss replied. “You’ve seen the Council in battle - wouldn’t you say that they pose a _significant_ threat to our operations, even with our superior numbers and resources, if left unchecked?”

“Of course, Veiss,” N.E.D. responded. “And _zhat_ is vhy ve are making so many preparations; ve must put our feet on every strategic position vithin our reach to prevent zheir slightest advance. Once zhe pieces are in place, victory is all but assu-”

“Uhh, Neddy…” Sylvie chose that moment to enter the discussion. “That’s cool and all, but…you _do_ realize that the Society’s down to four guys and one base, right? Why don’t we just wreck ‘em there?”

N.E.D. frowned behind his mask at the unexpected interruption. “Zhat is _also_ true, but ve have no idea if zhey have contingency plans for somezhing like zhis. Escape vectors, secondary defenses, avenues of alternate attack…zhere are many variables to be accounted for.”

“I took the liberty of scanning their position prior to my expulsion,” Quantum noted. “The HQ’s defenses are predicated on the Society’s ability to hold the hill; should their defense fail, their only escape option would be a 400-foot drop off the sheer cliff into the water below. Human bodies are not made to survive a drop that high, let alone into a sheer surface like seawater - even accounting for their potential physical enhancements, the Councilmen would not be in any condition to fight or flee afterwards. They also lack any secondary defenses, and the cliff itself has no other means to get around a frontal assault. It’s actually a rather poor position to hold; a scenic one, but strategically unsound.”

“True, but you do remember zhat zhey have _ozher_ means of escape,” N.E.D. argued.

“Scafe is the only member with natural flight ability,” Purgatory countered. “The others’ means of three-dimensional maneuvering are limited at best. Although Brian _could_ , perhaps, create an airship or something of the sort with his pencil, he would require a period of uninterrupted focus to make one capable of carrying himself _and_ his allies, which we could easily deny him with our collective abilities, particularly if we used _blitzkrieg_ tactics to take them by surprise.”

“Ah yes, zhat old trick…”N.E.D. crossed both sets of arms as he considered the paladin’s point. “You seem educated in zhe old vays…I admit, zhat _vas_ zhe core of mein plan once everyzhing is in position.” His voice hardened as he uncrossed his arms. “However…ve must still be prepared for zhe possibility of…‘unforeseen circumstances’ arising. Remember, zhe Council has a remarkable ability to draw Lady Luck to zheir side…”

“So we’re factoring _luck_ into the equation now?” Weiss stated incredulously. “Y’know what, I’m tired of this “tactical ballet” bullshit! I’m taking the helm on this idea, and I say we just run the Councilmen off the fucking cliff!”

N.E.D.’s voice became dangerously low. “I have said it before, and I vill say it as many times as necessary, Veiss; I am just as concerned as you about destroying zhe Society utterly. To do so, I vant to ensure zhat zhey have absolutely _no_ chance of escaping zheir fate - and to do _zhat,_ ve must secure zhe surrounding area and-”

“Or we could just use something that absolutely _no one_ could possibly survive.” All eyes turned to Amethyst as she rose from her chair, clutching a large roll of paper to her chest with one arm.

“Elaborate, Ms. Hart,” Quantum droned.

Amethyst frowned as she spread the paper across the table, showing diagrams of a curious device. “I managed to… _acquire_ …these plans in Iridu City a while back. They’re for a nuclear bomb powerful enough to render all the land around its blast zone uninhabitable for the next century or so~!”

“…Y’know, that might just do the trick.” The thought of blowing the Crimson Society sky-high with a “super nuke” actually left Weiss feeling a little bit giddy. As the others pored over the blueprints, he stood up and looked at N.E.D. “Well then, brother…we’ve got our weapon, our plan, and our thirst for revenge. What say we build this bomb, fuck these Council pansies and throw ‘em into the abyss?”

“YEEAAAAAAH!!!” roared Marcell. “MOST METAL PLAN **EVEEEEERRR!!!** ”

“V-vait just a minute!” N.E.D. shouted, desperately trying to regain control of the meeting. “Even vith zhis weapon, ve still need time to-”

“NO!” Weiss yelled back. “I am _sick_ of sitting on my ass, waiting for you to get every last teensy fucking nitpick out of your plans when we have a solution to our Crimson Society problem right here! I want _action!_ I want _destruction!_ And I really, REALLY want the heads of the four fuckfaces left in that stupid HQ **mounted on my wall!** And you know something, Nesmon? …You’re the only person in this room who disagrees with me.”

“Nonsense!” N.E.D. blustered. “Perhaps _some_ of zhe exiles considered zhis silly plan, but zhe bulk of zhem see zhe wisdom of proper planning and long-term preparation!”

“Oh _really?_ ” Weiss smirked as he turned to the others around the table. “All in favor of blowing the Crim-Shit Society’s HQ off the map and irradiating the remains?”

Recognizing their cue, everyone but N.E.D. raised a hand in assent to Weiss’s suggestion. N.E.D. clenched his fists as the pieces finally clicked. “Veiss…you planned zhis, didn’t you? All zhis time…you’ve been planning mutiny under mein very nose!”

“Ooh, got it in one!” Weiss clapped mockingly before lowering his shades to look N.E.D. right in the eye. “Second lesson of war, _brother_ : trust _no one_ as far as you can shoot them.” 

“You traitorous…ungrateful… _snake_... I should have known better zhan to allow your duplicitous vhite ass into mein bunker!” N.E.D. fumed for a moment before clapping his hands twice. “Guards! Have zhese traitors escorted from zhe premises!”

Saturn stared at N.E.D. as Neo Soldiers burst into the room and held the group at gunpoint. “You’re throwing us out?” she asked. “We have the same goal!”

“Sorry, _fraulein,_ but…mein bunker, mein rules!” N.E.D. watched as his troops marched the other exiles out of the room, saving Weiss for last. “You are now zhe one responsible for zhis issue, Veiss,” he said coldly. “I hope you all come to realize your mistake vhen zhe Society destroys you for your lack of foresight!”

Weiss only sneered back at his older brother as the soldier behind him shoved him towards the door. “Just watch, Nesmon. Soon, the Society will be in ashes, and you’ll be _begging_ me to command your armies! I guarantee it, or my name ain’t Weiss Locke, the best of the best in the entire fucking Nex-”

Weiss’s rant was abruptly silenced as the door slid shut behind him. N.E.D. glowered at the door for a moment before slumping back into his seat, alone save for one of his highest-ranking soldiers.

“Mein Fuhrer, vhere do you vant us to dump zheir bodies after ve execute zhem?”

“Nein,” N.E.D. responded emotionlessly. “Leave zhem alive. And provide zhem vith zhe components for Amethyst’s bomb, as vell as a map to one of our planned bases.”

The Neo Elite quirked his head to one side. “…Sir, vith all due respect……zhese people have attempted to usurp your authority and hijack our resources for zheir own short-sighted goals! Ve should dispose of zhem before zhey cause more trouble!”

“…Do you honestly zhink you can take zhem?” N.E.D.’s voice was no warmer nor more emotional as he replied. “I know mein brother, and if you vant to fight him, zhat is your hazard of choice. His friends are no pushovers either. It is best zhat zhey are exiled - ve save manpower of our own, and zhey may still prove useful to us.”

The Neo Elite paused to consider his leader’s words. “…Do you zhink their plan vill actually vork, sir?” he asked.

“Perhaps, perhaps not.” N.E.D.’s gaze went to the map of the Nexus. “Ultimately, zheir planning is irrelevant to mein own. At vorst, mein idiotic brother and his allies vill distract zhe Society from our activities vhile removing zhemselves from zhe picture. At best, zhey vill eliminate mein biggest enemies on zhe map vith limited expense on our part. It is a vin-vin situation for us if ve allow zhem to fight.”

“And…if zhey seek us out after destroying zhe Society, sir?”

“Zhen ve allow zhem to return to zhe fold. After he is done gloating in zhe vake of his victory, Veiss vill be much more receptive to mein style of planning vithout a target for his petty grudges. And if he continues to be a stubborn _arsch_ …zhen I expect vhatever remains of his allies vill be easily swayed back to our side. Zhat alone should prove enough to put Veiss firmly in his place.” N.E.D. gave his subordinate a dismissive wave before turning away to regard the monitors lining the near wall. “Now go - see to it zhat our ‘friends’ are relocated vith minimal fuss and delay.”

“ _Jawohl,_ Herr N.E.D.!” The Neo-Elite saluted before quickly marching out of the War Room. Alone at last, N.E.D. let out a weary sigh as he looked at the camera outside his base, where the treacherous Crimson Exiles had just been tossed out of the door.

“Vhy, mein brozher…? Vhy are you alvays so rash…?” N.E.D. shook his head as he shut off the monitor.

**-THE SOCIETY WILL RETURN-**


	4. The Beginning of the End

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Amethyst's expulsion and the failed uprising.

****

# Tales of the Society - The Azure Age

****

## Chapter 2.4: The Beginning of The End

****

_**Last time on** _ **Tales of the Society _…_** __

_Weiss got around to the rest of the Crimson Exiles in the base, asking about their past issues, learning what made them all tick, and playing on their desires to turn them against N.E.D. and his organization. However, his planned uprising didn’t go as well as he’d hoped; after a strong debate over the best way to destroy the Crimson Society, Weiss and Co. were thrown out of N.E.D.’s bunker._

_Now, with limited resources and no place to call home, it’s up to the exiled Exiles to make a base they can call their own. Thanks to N.E.D.’s planning, they already have a location to start at: Eukora Town._

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“So…this is the place?”

Weiss looked over the empty square of land near the center of town. Although there were signs of construction work by the Neo Empire, all but the barest remnants of equipment had been removed - evidently, N.E.D. had been expecting his former allies to find the site. “Well, looks like we have some work to do. Everyone’s gotta pitch in now…let’s make a kickass new pad!”

**-DAY 6-**

It took the better part of the day, but the group had made surprisingly good progress. Even when Amethyst deferred from construction to begin working on the Cobalt Bomb in their newly-built workshop, everyone else put their individual skills to use in clever and often creative ways - Weiss used his electricity as a makeshift welding tool, 1:30 was in charge of heavy lifting, and so forth. Unfortunately, one particularly diminutive member of the workforce was having particular issues stomaching her tasks.

“Uuuuugghhh… _Weeeeiiiisssss!_ ” Sylvie’s high-pitched whine was audible even over the racket of construction. “I’m _boooorreeed!_ I wanna go back to my lab and work on my _proooojeeeect!_ ”

“Woman, for the _last time_ , cool your fucking jets!” Weiss shouted back. “Creating our new base of operations is more important than your needless pursuits.” 

“ _Needless pursuits?!_ ” Sylvie responded, offended by Weiss’s remark. “My special project is gonna come in _reeeal_ handy for all of us!”

“My left nut it will.” Weiss grunted angrily before raising his voice again. “Just focus on helping us get some walls around us, and then you can build your _own_ damn lab for all I care.”

“Maybe I _will!_ ” Sylvie retorted, sticking out her tongue while she focused on applying the cement for the walls. With the bratty pony fangirl reoccupied, Weiss looked around to take stock of the group’s progress; it looked like construction was proceeding smoothly on the rest of the building. Seeing an opportunity to take a breather, he slipped away from the group and headed for the workshop, where he found Amethyst working on her bomb.

“So. How’s the weapon lookin’?” Weiss’s words nearly startled the tools out of Amethyst’s mechanical hands.

“Aaah! …Oh, Weiss, it’s you. I’m doing good, but _for fuck’s sake_ , don’t just come in like that! I might’ve been working on the super-sensitive firing mechanism for all you knew!” Amethyst shook her head as she set her tools down and faced her visitor. “What are you doing here?”

Weiss just stretched and leaned against the wall. “I’m taking a quick breather while everyone gets those walls up, so I figured I should take a minute to get to know you too. After all, you’re the only one I didn’t get to chat with before the meeting.” As he spoke, his gaze slowly roved over the goat-girl’s barely-clad body. Despite his shades blocking his eyes from view, Amethyst giggled knowingly.

“Well, we might not have a home yet, but I can tell _someone’s_ already found the best view in town~” 

Weiss scoffed to hide his mild embarrassment at being found out so easily, before quickly changing the subject. “Don’t go flatterin’ yourself just yet. I know that attitude got you in trouble with the Society - why else would they ban such a hot piece of ass?”

“So, you already know what got me kicked out…which leaves me short one story for your troubles…” Amethyst tapped her chin in mock thought as she slinked over to an open spot on her work table. “Alright then…how ‘bout I tell you just _how_ I got this bomb’s plans?” She smirked maliciously, eyeing the blueprints she set aside.

“Sure, why not?” Weiss answered, sitting himself down on a nearby bench. “Lay it on me, Amy.”

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“That’s enough of your sneaking around.” 

The crackle of flames filled the room as the woman stood between the intruder and the only unlocked door. With her back literally against the wall, Amethyst raised her hands in surrender, an angry red welt forming on her left cheek where her assailant - a dark-skinned human woman with pitch-black butterfly wings protruding from her back - had slapped her a moment ago.

“Wait, wait, wait, I didn’t mean any harm!” she yelped. “I just wanted to see if the rumors about the ‘woman with butterfly wings’ were true!” With the woman still advancing on her, she adopted a pose of supplication; hands behind her back, chest thrust out in something of a showier manner than usual. “Can’t we be friends…...or maybe something more~?” she asked shyly.

To Amethyst’s relief, the winged woman dispelled her fireball - albeit only so she could slap herself in the face with a groan. “So this is what it feels like to be on the other side of my flirting. How do people put up with it?” She muttered inaudibly before turning back to regard Amethyst. “Would it have _killed_ you to just knock or something? Pretty rude to just sneak in and then ask to be friends. The fact that I didn’t blast your head off on the spot means you’re damn luc-”

The woman froze as an explosion was heard in the next room. Her wings immediately turned stark white, but only for a moment. They quickly settled on an eerie black once more, matching the murderous look that came to their owner’s face.

“...If that’s who I think it is, I’m making a snakeskin belt,” she growled. “Tradere, your scaly ass is **mine**!” As she got up from her seat, she glanced back at Amethyst, her eyes narrowed. “Touch anything here at your own risk. I will deal with you in a moment, you stripperiffic sneak.”

Amethyst smiled demurely and waved at the winged woman as the latter fluttered off, a fiery rocket launcher manifesting in her hands. The moment the door slammed shut, she tittered mischievously and eyed the detonator she had held behind her back.

“Hehehe. Ahh, **Irene…** ” Amethyst giggled. “You should know better than to take your eyes off my _hands~_ ” As she began looking around the room, her phone went off. She grabbed it to find a quick text message from someone she knew all too well.

“ _Plz don’t do this…u r better than this…_ ”

Amethyst stared at the message before shutting off her phone and putting it away with a sigh. “Sorry, Ruby…” she whispered to herself, “…but my mind’s made up… If this changes me…so be it.”

With that, Amethyst quickly skirted off into the shadows of the workshop, leaving Irene perusing the area of the blast. She snuck into the research and drafting room, poring over the blueprints lining the walls, until she got to the biggest one she could find, labeled _Cobalt Bomb - EXTREME FUCKING RISK!_

“Jackpot~” The cyborg goat smirked to herself as she pulled the scroll off the wall. With her objective complete, Amethyst slunk out of the house the same way she came in, but not before detonating the second set of charges she’d planted. Another smirk curled her lips as she heard the sound of an exasperated female scream - her second “present” had been planted on Irene’s napalm tanks, setting much of her house alight.

“OH, FOR LOVE’S SAKE! When I find you, Tradere, you’re gonna _WISH_ you could die permanently!” Irene’s enraged vows and the roar of the now-raging fire drowned out the sound of Amethyst’s amused laughter as she absconded with the plans.

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

For once in his life, Weiss was speechless. “So…let me get this straight,” he finally uttered. “You broke into the house of a psychopathic pyromaniac, _flirted_ with her without getting your ass kicked, stole plans for her ultimate weapon, _set her house on fire_ …and lived to talk about it?!”

“What, is this suddenly a dick-measuring competition~? Do you need a handicap against the amputee~?” Amethyst couldn’t help but giggle at the look of utter bewilderment and shock on Weiss’s normally-smug and composed face. Even after taking a few moments to collect himself, he still stumbled on his next words.

“Good…fucking…god, that’s _hot._ ”

“Just like everything else about me, Weissy~” Amethyst’s smile took on a more seductive look as she rested her hands on her knees, squeezing her breasts between her arms as she leaned forward.

Weiss’s face was almost as red as the scar on his forehead by this point. _Well, the welding seems to be done for the most part… Maybe…I should extend my break a bit more…_  
He smirked up at Amethyst as she sauntered forward, pushed him down on her workbench, and-

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 _“Whoa now! Wait a sec!” Brian reached out to stop the story, shaking his head. “That’s_ way _more than I had to hear.”_

_“y-y-yYesss ind-e-e-eeed. Wouldn’tstttsst want to s-c-ar any young mi-n0sj0sid-ar-”_

_“Aww hell naw!” Brian said, drawing himself a triple-barrelled shotgun. “We are_ not _going through this shit again, Bojack!”_

_“Wa-wai-wait! I’m jussss-zz-z-z-st try-y-ying to-”_

_**BLAM! BLAM! BLAM-BLAM-BLAM!** _

_When there was nothing but blood, dust, and metal shards, Brian straightened up and wiped his brow. “Alrighty then! Let’s get back to the story! And for all our sakes…skip that last part.”_

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Hey! Amethyst! You in there, ya lazy goat?”

“Let me try, Saturn~! Ahem… Oh, Raaarity! You sleeping on the job, darling?”

“OUTTA THE WAY, GIRLS! LET’S SEE HER IGNORE _THIIIIIIISSSSS!!!_ ” 

“That appears…inadvisable. You may cause structural damage to the workshop.”

“SCREW THAT! GOAT-BITCH HAS TO GET THE FUCK OUT HERE NO-”

Just before Marcell could take out his guitar, the door of the workshop opened, allowing Amethyst to stalk out. Her hair was a disheveled mess, her cheeks were flushed, and her expression was nothing short of murderous.

“…Can you all just **SHUT THE HELL UP FOR TEN SECONDS!?** ” Her outburst made everyone fall silent on the spot. “…God, I’m working my ass off on the fucking bomb we gotta use to destroy the Crimson Society, and I can’t even get a decent minute’s rest with your chatter! Unless you knuckleheads wanna be the test subjects for my new toy, **LET ME FUCKING SLEEP!!!** ”

With a muted snarl, Amethyst slammed the door shut, leaving the others quite stunned by the openly hostile display. Unnoticed by anyone, Weiss used the commotion to sneak out the back window, make himself look semi-presentable - easier than it sounds when you lack both hair and a shirt - and sneak back to the group. “So, what’d I miss?” he asked nonchalantly.

“ _There_ you are,” said Purgatory. “We’ve been looking everywhere for you - where have you been?”

“Simple; I’ve been in a magical and mystical realm of pleasure and awesomeness,” Weiss responded. “And let’s just say…Amethyst gave me the _opening_ I needed to get there~ Heh heh heh…ba-zing~”

The thinly-veiled innuendo brought mixed reactions from the others; Sylvie looked disgusted, Marcell gave Weiss a thumbs-up, Saturn raised a wasp-formed eyebrow, 1:30 stared blankly, and Quantum slightly tilted his head to one side, but otherwise appeared indifferent. Purgatory, however, looked nothing short of confused.

“…I’m sorry, what?” she asked. Weiss chortled for several seconds before giving an annoyed sigh.

“Ugh…nevermind. Back to work, everyone; we just gotta get these walls up now,” he groaned. _It figures she’d be as thick as a board about that stuff,_ he thought.

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The work continued on into the night, the stars above fighting the city lights for prominence. After one last pull, the final wall on the new Crimson Exiles’ HQ was up and firmly in place. Everyone looked at the finished product to find that…it fit well with the surrounding buildings.

“…Huh. A little underwhelming, don’t you think?” Sylvie quipped to the others, with Weiss only looking slightly annoyed with this development.

“Indeed…however, that is beneficial to our plans,” Quantum droned. “The risk of retaliation is significantly lower if we blend in rather than stand out.”

“And who’s to say we can’t trick out the _inside_ of our new base?” Weiss added. “But we’ll have time for that later - right now, I think we all deserve a good night’s sleep.” His allies nodded in agreement as they entered their new base to make themselves at home, settling in their respective rooms for the first decent sleep any of them had had in a week.

**-DAY 7-**

The group awoke early to begin decorating the interior of the base to their liking. As they finished up, Amethyst finally rejoined them, looking rather frazzled but pleased with herself.

“Guys, it’s done! The bomb is ready to go - and better yet, I had a lot of leftover cobalt, so we can start R&D with this here!”

“Interesting,” Quantum said. “If I may, Weiss, would you allow the science-minded members to proceed with this endeavor?” He indicated himself, Amethyst, and Sylvie.

“Sure - if R&D translates to more stuff to own motherfuckers with, go fucking nuts.” Weiss nodded to his allies as they walked back outside. The motion also brought his attention to the window, where he noticed a familiar figure rappelling down from a helicopter. “Huh. What do you know… He’s coming back.”

A minute later, Weiss opened the door to admit the visitor: N.E.D. himself, without escorts. The four-armed Neo-Human chuckled jovially as he looked around the base. “Ah, brozher…it varms mein heart to see your boundless energy directed productively. Zhe garrison I had intended for zhis site vould not have managed such a task in a single day…” 

“I had help from some good men and women…but yeah, most of that’s all me,” Weiss bragged, despite how little he actually did. “Now then…the fuck are _you_ doin’ here? Don’t you have some big-ass scheme to be working on?”

“I said zhat I vould not allow your planning to compromise mein own…I never said zhat I did not vant to _see_ your plans in action,” N.E.D. replied. “I vill accompany you on zhis assault and assist if needed, if only to see zhe Society burning. After zhat, you and your friends may proceed on your own vithout mein intervention. Ve shall see whose tactics sound zhe death knell on zhe _schweinhunds_ who banned us.”

Weiss’s cocky smirk widened. “Did I just hear you make a competition outta this?”

“Nein, brozher.” N.E.D. shook his head. “I only vant to see if zhis tactic of yours vill avail you. If not, it falls to _me_ to clean up your mess. After all, I vant to see zhem burn as much as you, but I vill not compromise meinself just to get a shot at zhem.”

“Heh. Whatever you say, bro…” Weiss’s smirk remained undimmed as he waved his brother further inside. “It’ll still be an hour or so before we’ve got everything in place; how ‘bout I give you a tour of the joint while we wait?”

“Zhat vould be most…gentlemanly of you, brozher.” N.E.D. crossed both pairs of arms across his chest as he took in Weiss’s rather uncharacteristic offer. “Zhis is quite unlike you…are you really so proud of zhis simple establishment?”

“Maybe a little.” Weiss shrugged. “Sure, it ain’t exactly the Kremlin, but you’ll always be a little proud of the things you put your back into. It’s kinda like you and your empire - it had to have been like this _way_ back when, and look at it today!”

“Ah yes…zhe Neo Empire…” N.E.D.’s sigh was almost wistful. “Zhat is indeed mein _magnum opus_ …if only zhe Society vould have allowed me to bring zhem into zhe fold as vell. Zhey vould have been powerful assets…if not for zhat ridiculous sense of honor zhey share…” He shook his head as he remembered his last days in the Society.

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“For the _last_ time, N.E.D., cut it out!”

Max’s cries went unheeded as N.E.D. threw another gust of gale-force winds his way. He tried to retaliate by slamming the ground with his sword, causing a plume of sand to explode beneath the Neo Human, but N.E.D. simply leapt forward, using the attack and his own wind powers to supplement his momentum. He flipped around in midair to plant both boots in Max’s chest, forcing the assassin back as the wind was knocked out of him.

“Vhat’s zhe matter, Herr Max? I zhought you had more zhen _zhat._ ” N.E.D. sneered as he got up and dusted off his coat. “Is _zhis_ zhe best a master assassin can do? _Mein gott,_ you are out of practice…”

“It’s a spar, N.E.D., we’re trying to _avoid_ killing each other here!” Max snapped back. As usual, his supposedly-friendly training match with N.E.D. had escalated rapidly - both were rather battered, but neither gave an inch. “If I didn’t know any better, I’d say that was your _intention._ ”

“Oh please, mein silly bear…zhis vill hardly kill you. I vish only to push your physical limitations, and I expect you to do zhe same.” N.E.D. flexed his fingers as balls of compressed air formed in his hands. “Only zhrough zhe hardest of trials can men become steel!” He started to rush in, only to be forced back when a wall of sand erupted in front of him, rapidly hardening into rock.

“I _said_ …that’s… **enough!** ” Max shouted the last word as he struck the rock with the blunt side of his blade. The wall shattered into dust as the blade went on to smack the stalled N.E.D., sending him flying into the opposite wall with a crash. “I’m tired of you testing my limits, the only thing you’re testing is my _patience!_ ”

“Nngh…” N.E.D. slowly got back to his feet, rubbing his sore back. “I see…you haven’t lost your fury…but your edge is lacking…” He chuckled as Max sheathed his sword and walked away, panting from exertion.

“No… I’m holding back…I’d rather not shed blood I don’t have to…” The masked assassin looked over his shoulder at N.E.D. “Restraint is the sign of _true_ discipline, Nesmon.” 

“Yes, of course, _Herr Councilman…_ ” Despite himself, N.E.D. couldn’t quite hide his sarcasm, prompting Max to groan in exasperation.

“Seriously, _this_ again? Ever since Tsuneo left, you’ve been pushing for the seat of power he left behind. Newsflash, N.E.D.; you aren’t getting that spot. No one is. We don’t need another leader to make things more complicated…let alone a bloody _tyrant._ ”

N.E.D. frowned suspiciously behind his mask. “Vhat are you talking about, Max?”

The question brought a grim smile to Max’s face behind his own mask. “You underestimate our perception; we’ve known about your activities outside the Society for a while now. Why else would you call yourself the ‘deity’ of the Neo Empire?”

“Because I am Neo Human like mein brother-”

“And, apparently, there’s a literal _army_ of your kind,” Max interrupted. “And you see yourself as their _de facto_ leader. Even Weiss’s insufferable ego won’t extend that far.” The lenses of his mask narrowed as he turned to face N.E.D. directly. “Tell me, Nesmon…what would you do if we ever indulged your wish to become a Councilman? Were you planning on turning the Society into your newest base…or were you plotting to dispose of us when the facade of goodwill was no longer necessary for your goals?”

“My my, Herr Max…you are more cynical zhan even I realized.” N.E.D.’s chuckle held the barest hint of menace. “Everyzhing I do is in zhe best interests of-”

“That’s just it. It’s _not_ in our best interests as a Society. Especially if you and your army are flying the flag we suspect you to be flying.” Max took out a picture from his pocket: an angular black swastika on a white-and-red background. “We value our independence and diversity here - what makes us different is what makes us stronger. Your army may be more numerous and well-supplied, but it has no _soul_ \- just subservient conformity. We want _none_ of that.”

“Herr Max, you surely have to consider-”

“I won’t consider you a member of this fold anymore,” Max sniped coldly. “And neither will the rest of the Council. Return to your ‘superior army’; unlike them, we won’t bend to your ambitions. And if you wish to press the issue… _then_ we’ll see if a ‘god’ can die.”

N.E.D. bowed his head as Max finally left the room. “Zhen you leave me no choice, Max,” he muttered. “Zhe next time ve meet…you and your friends vill receive _no_ mercy...”

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Huh.” Weiss’s brow furrowed slightly as he digested the details of his brother’s expulsion. “I knew you were a dog of war, Nesmon, but I didn’t think you’d try to conscript the Society under their own fucking noses.”

“All zhat matters is victory and strength, mein brozher; as in var, so too in life,” N.E.D. replied. “Zhe Society’s decay has proved zheir incompetence; it is a _kindness_ to put zheir pointless struggles to an end, before zheir weakness brings zhem a more prolonged death.”

Weiss’s smile had a hint of sincere admiration this time; N.E.D.’s explanation had both provided insight into his current intentions and resonated with something deep within his own heart. “Alright then, brother. You’re welcome to come with us on our little revenge trip, but remember; when the Society goes up in nuclear flames, it was _my_ plan, _my_ efforts, and _my_ victory.”

“Of course, mein brozher. I shall merely observe.” N.E.D. nodded curtly as Weiss looked over to the rest of the Exiles, already geared up for the attack. The Cobalt Bomb and a pair of Marcell’s portable amplifiers were loaded onto a cart, with a modified ox harness on the front to help 1:30 pull it. Purgatory and Marcell were pushing the cart from the back, and Sylvie was sitting next to the bomb, examining it with interest.

“Alright, the gang’s all here, the bomb’s good to go, and we’ve got our banner!” Weiss paused to glance at Saturn. “…We _did_ make a banner, right? I want those Society shitheads to know _exactly_ who they fucked.”

“As per your suggestion, we do indeed.” Saturn indicated a rolled-up cloth and a pair of long poles slung over her back, wrapped in plastic to keep her wasps away from it.

“How…self-aggrandizing,” N.E.D. commented dryly.

“Hey, I learned from you, bro,” Weiss said. “Psychological warfare’s just as important as the explosions and murder part - I’m gonna show these fucks that we’re back and better than ever! And on that note…” He put on his most commanding tone as he pointed towards the horizon, where the Society’s base stood.

“This is it, everyone! The rise of the **Azure Initiative** has BEGUN!”

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

As the Cobalt Bomb’s explosion rocked the landscape, pieces of the Crimson Society’s HQ and its cliffside foothold falling into the glowing waters below, evil laughter rang out from N.E.D.’s helicopter.

“We did it! We fucking _did_ it!!! The Crimson Suck-ciety is no more! They’re gone!!!” Weiss’s cool exterior finally gave way to sadistic glee as his team revelled in the glory of their victory…save for Amethyst.

“Yes, Weiss, that’s all well and good, but…where do we go from here?” she asked. “With the Society out of the picture, what’s our next move… _boyfriend~?_ ” The last word turned a few heads, but Weiss only grinned knowingly.

“Oh-ho-ho-ho…I’ve already been thinking about that. You see, after the events of the last week, I’ve realized something…” He pointed to the burning remnants of the cliffside where his enemies’ base had stood moments before. “ _These_ suckers were proclaimed the strongest of the Nexus, but we just kicked their asses… Know what that means?” 

“… _We’re_ the strongest?” Sylvie squeaked out from the crowd.

“Yes, exactly. And do you know what _that_ means?”

“NO ONE CAN STOP US NOW! YEAAAAAAAAAH!!!”

“……Yes, Marcell,” Weiss said as he removed his hands from his ears. “ _That’s_ what that means. We can move on from petty revenge and expand our scope to… **the entire planet!** ”

“I see zhat ambition runs in zhe family after all.” N.E.D.’s voice was half-approving, half wry.

“And perhaps we can _finally_ hunt down that _demon_ in the process,” Purgatory muttered.

Weiss snapped his fingers as he remembered his agreement with the paladin. “Oh, of course… That’s Priority One now… Ladies and gentlemen, we have our first mission: capture the NeverDead! Whoever does…he’s theirs to do with as they damn well please. Make him your next science project, keep him tied up for your amusement, fucking end him, I don’t care. Make this a competition if you want; just catch that freak, and fuck him _up._ ” He paused as he glanced at Saturn. “Or just fuck him, I guess. Just make sure he can’t get in our way anymore.”

The Initiative’s faces lit up at Weiss’s declaration. “I wanna make him pay for his Pony hate!” Sylvie immediately cried.

“I WANT THAT MOTHAFUCKA DEAD FOR TRASHIN’ MY TUNES!!!” Marcell screeched, strumming his guitar for emphasis.

“I would like to study the NeverDead’s stress patterns, to find the best way to torment his immortal soul,” Quantum allowed the ghost of a grin to curl his lips as he spoke.

“I will cleanse his soul from this realm of existence!” Purgatory snarled.

“Personally, I vould like to figure out how he summons zhat “Ether” of his,” N.E.D. stated. “It could be useful for future Neo Human development…”

“I”LL **MURDERR** HIIIIMM!!” roared 1:30.

“Jeez, you guys have a massive hate-on for Tsu-Tsu!” Saturn shook her head resignedly. “I’d better find him first to take him away from all this rage.”

Weiss raised a hand to calm the renewed chatter. “Alright, alright, settle down everyone. We’ll get to all that when we find him.” He turned away from the ruins of the CS HQ as the helicopter wheeled back towards Eukora Town. “For now, we _earned_ our rest today. Let’s get back to the base…we have all the time in the world to plan.”

As the group gave their assent, N.E.D. quietly glanced back at the blue-glowing ruins of Iridu City. It certainly looked like something that not even the Crimson Councilmen could have survived…but the barest hint of uncertainty lingered in the Neo-Nazi’s thoughts. Straightening out his gaze to see the newly-formed Azure Initiative revelling in their victory, he felt disgust and annoyance rise up in his heart, mixed with a rare shred of genuine pity.

_Like moths to a lantern…too dazzled by zhe light to realize zhe danger…” N.E.D. shook his head as the helicopter landed outside the Azures’ headquarters, allowing the rest of the passengers to disembark. “ Ach, Veiss…your short-sightedness vill get you and your ‘friends’ killed…”_

_With that last concerned thought, N.E.D. directed his pilot to fly them back to his own base, planning his next move in the wake of the Society’s apparent destruction._

_**-THE SOCIETY WILL RETURN-** _

**Author's Note:**

> I'm LadyIrene #2020 and Insanity_Lady on Twitter if you wanna talk.


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